Advances in Fight Against Methamphetamine Lauded by Terry Goddard

(Phoenix, Ariz. - April 18, 2005) Attorney General Terry Goddard today commended approval in the House of Representatives of a comprehensive bill that attacks methamphetamine use and production in Arizona.

The meth bill would require decongestant tablets containing pseudoephedrine to be sold behind pharmacy counters. It also would require buyers to show an ID and sign a log, impose smaller limits on the amount that can be purchased and stiffen criminal penalties for meth use and production. 

The bill moved forward on the same day that Target Corp. announced that it would move drugs with pseudoephedrine behind pharmacy counters in its stores nationwide. In its stores without pharmacies, the company said these drugs won't be sold at all. 

"These two actions give us reason to be encouraged we can win the fight against the meth epidemic in Arizona," Goddard said. "Meth is the No. 1 crime problem in this state, and the most important thing we can do to stop its production is to make the key ingredient - pseudoephedrine - harder to get."

Goddard said Target's new policy increases the need for Arizona to pass a strong meth bill.

"A company should not find itself at a competitive disadvantage for doing the right thing," Goddard said. "Our bill will impose restrictions that Target is adopting voluntarily and make large amounts of pseudoephedrine much harder to obtain."